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US 7,681,793 B2Granted
Multi-format magnetic head
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsRobert Glenn Biskeborn, Calvin Shyhjong Lo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magnetic head includes a first array of elements associated with a first data format and a second array of elements associated with a second data format, the elements being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof. The first and second arrays of elements are adjacent each other in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of a magnetic medium over the head.
Claims32
A magnetic head, comprising:
- a first module having a closure, a substrate, and a gap between the closure and substrate, the gap having:
- a first array of elements associated with a first data format, the elements of the first array being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof;
- and
- a second array of elements associated with a second data format, the elements of the second array being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof,
- wherein the first and second arrays of elements are adjacent each other generally laterally in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of a magnetic medium over the head;
- a second module having a tape bearing surface spaced from a tape bearing surface of the first module and aligned with the first module parallel to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium, the second module having a closure, a substrate, and a gap between the closure and substrate, the gap having:
- a third array of elements associated with the first data format, the elements being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof;
- and
- a fourth array of elements associated with the second data format,
- wherein the third and fourth arrays of elements are positioned generally laterally adjacent each other in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium over the head,
- wherein outer elements of the third array of elements are aligned with outer elements of the first array of elements along lines oriented parallel to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium,
- wherein outer elements of the fourth array of elements are aligned with outer elements of the second array of elements along lines oriented parallel to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium,
- wherein the first and second arrays share a servo reader,
- wherein the servo reader shared by the first and second arrays is used to read servo tracks in the first and second data formats.
11 more elements
A tape drive system, comprising:
- a head, further comprising:
- a first array of elements associated with a first data format, the elements of the first array being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof;
- and
- a second array of elements associated with a second data format, the elements of the second array being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof,
- wherein the first and second arrays of elements are positioned generally laterally adjacent each other along a line oriented in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of a magnetic medium over the head,
- wherein the first and second arrays share a servo reader,
- wherein the shared servo reader is used to read servo tracks in the first and second data formats,
- wherein the servo reader is positioned along the line oriented in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of a magnetic medium over the head;
- a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic recording tape over the head;
- and
- a controller in communication with the head.
8 more elements
A magnetic head, comprising:
- a first module having:
- a first array of elements associated with a first data format, the elements of the first array being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof;
- and
- a second array of elements associated with a second data format, the elements of the second array being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof,
- wherein the first and second arrays of elements are positioned generally laterally adjacent each other in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of a magnetic medium over the head,
- a second module having:
- a third array of elements associated with the first data format, the elements being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof;
- and
- a fourth array of elements associated with the second data format,
- wherein the third and fourth arrays of elements are positioned generally laterally adjacent each other in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium over the head,
- wherein the third array of elements is aligned with the first array of elements in the direction of travel of the magnetic medium,
- wherein the fourth array of elements is aligned with the second array of elements in the direction of travel of the magnetic medium,
- wherein the first and second modules each have a planar tape bearing surface,
- wherein the tape bearing surfaces lie along substantially parallel planes,
- wherein the planes are offset from each other in a direction perpendicular to one of the planes,
- wherein the first module has a skiving edge, wherein the skiving edge of the first module reduces air pressure in an area between the magnetic medium and the tape bearing surface of the first module;
- wherein the second module has a skiving edge, wherein the skiving edge of the second module reduces air pressure in an area between the magnetic medium and the tape bearing surface of the second module;
- wherein the modules are set in relationship with each other such that an internal wrap angle of the magnetic medium relative to the tape bearing surface of one of the modules is defined between the modules.
15 more elements
A magnetic head, comprising:
- a first module having a first array of elements associated with a first data format, and a second array of elements associated with a second data format, the elements being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof, wherein the first and second arrays of elements are positioned generally laterally adjacent each other in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of a magnetic medium over the head;
- and
- a second module aligned with the first module parallel to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium, the second module having a third array of elements associated with the first data format, and a fourth array of elements associated with the second data format, the elements being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof, wherein the third and fourth arrays of elements are positioned generally laterally adjacent each other in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium over the head,
- wherein the first and third arrays of elements are aligned in the direction of travel of the magnetic medium over the head,
- wherein the second and fourth arrays of elements are aligned in the direction of travel of the magnetic medium over the head,
- wherein the first and second modules each have a planar tape bearing surface,
- wherein the tape bearing surfaces lie along substantially parallel planes,
- wherein the planes are offset from each other in a direction perpendicular thereto,
- wherein the modules are set in relationship with each other such that an internal wrap angle of the magnetic medium relative to the tape bearing surface of one of the modules is defined between the modules.
6 more elements
A magnetic head, comprising:
- a first array of elements associated with a first data format, the elements of the first array being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof;
- and
- a second array of elements associated with a second data format, the elements of the second array being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof,
- wherein the first and second arrays of elements are adjacent each other generally laterally in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of a magnetic medium over the head,
- wherein the first and second arrays share a servo reader, wherein the servo reader shared by the first and second arrays is used to read servo tracks in the first and second data formats.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.